If you made a list of the most distinctive gridiron sets of all time, 1970 Topps football cards would have to sit near the top.
Right?
I mean, any collector who’s been around for awhile can instantly identify those gold-tan borders and that Family Feud/Dating Game-style oval cutout from a mile away.
This set is a perfect representation of its era, and that extends down to the player photos, where the long hair and burgeoning sideburns of the day were on full display.
But 1970 Topps is not just about style — from big-name rookie cards to ancient future Hall of Famers, this set has something for every fan and collector.
With all that in mind, here is the list of the 12 most valuable 1970 Topps football cards according to PSA 8 prices as listed in the PSA Sports Market Report Price Guide.
1970 Topps O.J. Simpson Rookie Card (#90)
Once upon a time, this O.J. Simpson rookie card was among the most desirable and valuable cards in the entire hobby.
In the 1980s, during the hobby boom, O.J. was a beloved Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Famer who had parlayed his charm and fame into a budding Hollywood career.
Then, of course, the events of June 1994 changed everything, and O.J. became untouchable in a whole different sort of way than he was running the ball for USC and the Buffalo Bills (and, technically, the San Franciso 49ers).
Today, enough collectors still (or again) see this card as the RC of one of the greatest running backs ever to keep it at the top of the 1970s Topps food chain.
O.J.’s first card sells for around $250 in PSA 8.
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1970 Topps Joe Namath (#150)
Namath was a year removed from his promise-led charge to a victory in Super Bowl III when this card showed up in the fall of 1970.
But he was still the high-profile, good-loking quarterback of the New York Jets, and he was already a legend.
As such, Namath’s 1970 Topps card was popular right from the beginning, and it remains about a $100 card in graded NM-MT condition today.
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1970 Topps Claude Humphrey Rookie Card (#156)
Unless you were an Atlanta Falcons fan or die-hard NFL aficionado in the 1970s, there’s a decent change you’ve never even heard of Claude Humphrey.
Defensive ends just didn’t get much play in the press in those days, and neither did the moribund Falcons.
But Humphrey has multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors to his name, and he gained Canton election in 2014.
That uptick in limelight has helped push Humphrey’s rookie card to about $65 in PSA 8.
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1970 Topps Gale Sayers (#70)
Just as this card was issued, Sayers suffered a left knee injury in the 1970 pre-season, and subsequent surgeries and further injury put a very early end to a great career.
In five full seasons through 1969, Sayers won two rushing titles and picked up nearly 5000 yards. He appeared headed for the record book and Canton.
That Hall of Fame bust still materialized in 1977, and this classic 1970 Sayers is a $60 card in PSA 8 today.
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1970 Topps Bart Starr (#30)
By the time this 1970 Topps card was issued, Starr was a few years removed from his peak with the great Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960s.
But with five NFL Championships — including the first two Super Bowl titles — under his belt, Starr’s legacy was secure.
And, though he’s aged here, Starr still looks right at home in a classic QB pose on a card that fetches about $55 today (PSA 8).
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1970 Topps Johnny Unitas (#180)
Pretty much the same story for Unitas as for Starr — a legendary quarterback at the end of his career appears on a classic football card that sells for around $55.
Of course, the Colts Hall of Famer gives us a slightly different look, as he seems to be studying the football for alien life.
Think he found anything?
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1970 Topps Calvin Hill Rookie Card (#260)
Before Tony Dorsett flashed into the NFL, Calvin Hill ruled the Cowboys’ backfield in the early 1970s.
Rushing for 1000 yards in both 1972 and 1973, Hill established himself as a bruising runner who also had the hands to catch 271 balls for nearly 29